America's top military officer has urged Beijing to use its relationship with Pyongyang to ensure regional stability.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said that Washington is in no way seeking to contain China's rise, but that the U.S. will remain active in the Asia Pacific region for a long time.

Mullen is on a four-day trip to China to hold talks with his counterpart General Chen Bingde and visit military bases as the two nations seek to bolster their security cooperation.